Caster construction



E. A. SMITHFIELD CASTER CONSTRUCTION.

Patented July 5, M1,.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1921- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

FIEi. 1

TIE. 3

" .1 4 1 Raga; r4 al '1 IIIIIIQIIIII INVENTOR fM/L ,4. 5/7/7'HF/ELD,

My? ATTORNEY-5.

E. A. SMITHHELD. -CASTE8 CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATlQ'N FILED FEB. 26, 1921.

1,383,? '74. nted uly 5, 1921.

I v 2 SHEETs-SHEET Z.

-32: H l j 3/5 320 5Z3 45 p from that shown in Figs. 3, 4L and 5. Fig.

uurrse stares lATEiENT Q F i r EMIL A. SMITHFIELD, or EVANSVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO rAUrrLEs' i A -,3

COMPANY, or EVANSVILLE, INDIANA,'A oortromrronf. f y

oasrnn CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed February 26, 11921. I Serial No. 448,129.

, State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Caster Construction; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanylng drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts. f 1

This invention relates to casters, and the chief object ofthe same isto improve the present roller 'bearingcaster construction, whereby a rigid arrangement of several of the associated parts will be secured'and whereby other parts. will be swivelably mounted in an improved manner.

The chief feature of the invention consists in associating with a roller trackway and a yoke or horn a sleeve portion concen trio with the usual stem, spindle or pivot.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims. r In the drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevational view of a furniture leg to which the improved caster construction is secured. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged central sectional view of the invention showing the parts thereof in detail. Fig. 4 is an enlarged central sectional View of a portion of a modified form of the invention. Fig.3 is an 'en larged central sectional view of a portion of another modification of the invention. Fig. 6 is a central sectional view. of, a furniture leg to which the improved caster construction is secured, said caster construction, however, being slightly modified from thatshown in Fig. 1, the generic idea of the inventionfbeing, the same. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a portion of a modified form of the invention difiering slightly Sis a central sectional view of another modification of the invention and differs but slightly from Fig. 7.

v In the drawmgs there is illustrated sev-,

eral forms of the invention, which is an improvement upona prior patent issued to William Noelting, June 27, 1916, No. 1,888,674. 1

Q In he dr'awingslO indicates the usual Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July furniture. 1 the Caster Wheel and the yoke or apron portion-providing the yoke plate 112. .The yoke .12 supports the furmture leg through suitable" supporting means. such as the socket construction. 13,

which is detachably secured to. aid leg by I the usual screw orbolt means 14:. Reference will now be had to. Fig.3 where- 111 the lnventlon is illustrated in detail. The

socket forming plate 13 is provided withza circular and outer flange or guard 15 and a circular trackway portion 16. Associated with said. outer circular guard is an inner cup member 17 provided with a circular flange portion 18 which is concentricuwith the outer flange portion 15 andcooperates with said fiange portion andthe trackway 16, to form a raceway adapted to receive the usual rollers 19. The plate 13'is further provided with a depressed centraliportion 20 provided with a central aperturef21. Seatable in the depression inthe plate 13 is the heador' enlargement 22 of a spindle or rivet 23, thebody portion of which ex tends through the central opening 21 of the socket plate 13. Asleeve or bushing 24:, WlllCh may be either solid or split, is positioned concentrically upon the spindle or rivet 23 and its upper edge bears; against the central plate forming ,portion'20. The, sleeve 24 extends through the cup 17; and terminates'beyond' the lower edge of the yoke plate 112.; The hornor yoke;,plate 112 is provided with a central opening 25, and said yoke is rotatably supported upon said sleeve. It will "be understood that when the yoke is in engagement withthelrollers 19, said sleeve extendsthrough thes'yoke' and projects a short distance beyond the same. A. washer 26 is positioned upon the spindle 23 adjacent the vlower-endof the sleeve .24, and said washer extends out. wardly therefrom and beneath the yoke 112 to support the same .upon the spindle at such times when theweight is removedfrom that the spindle may be extended beyond the flange or head portion above the track plate to form a caster stem which may be formed as desired and seatable in suitable socket means if desired without departing from'the broader features of this invention.

' Two modifications suggested 'in the preceding paragraph are illustrated in'Figs. '4

and 5. In Fig. 4 the yoke 12 provided with V the yoke plate 112 and central aperture is positioned adjacent a supporting trackplate comprising a securlng portlon 113, a palr of concentric and parallel circular or cylindrical walls 115 and 118 designating respec-' tively the outer and inner walls of a roller raceway in which the rollers 19 are retalned. The rollers 119 are bearable upona circular track portion 116 and upon the yoke plate 112. In Fig. 4 the inner-wall 118 extends inwardly at117 and downwardly at 125 into the central opening 25 of the yoke plate 112 and projects therethrough when said yoke plate is in bearable relation with the rollers. A 'washer 26 of greater diameter than the central opening 25 is positioned beneath the yoke plate and is bearable upon the dependingseat 125 when the head 27 of the rivet or stud 23 is enlarged to retain said parts in assembled relation. The depending seat 125 extends upwardly to form a central sleeve portion 124 and terminates in acup portion 120. for securing thehead 22 of the rivet in the stud 23..

In Fig. 5 the portions and parts 213, 215, 216, 217, 218, 112, 23, 22, 27, 12 and 19 are substantially similar to the correspondingly numbered parts and portions in Figs. 3'and 4. In this modification the inwardly extending portion-217 extends diagonally upward to form a seat 220 for the rivet head 22' and'then extends downwardly to form a sleeve portion 224 and terminates at 225 in a projecting portion extending through the what therefrom, although the generic idea '35 of the invention is retained herein. In said central opening 25. The head of the rivet bears on the end 225 and secures the yoke 12 to the'track plate without the use of a washer, as illustrated. A washer may be used, howeveryin the same manner as illustrated in Figs. and 4. p

' In Fig. 6 there is illustrated azcaster conT struction which is'somewhat similar to that hereinbefore illustrated but differs somefigure, 310 indicates a furniture leg with a central opening 340, and said central opening is secured a cylindrical socket 341 which is provided with a base portion 342 and tongue portions 343 for engaging the head 344 of a neck between the head: 344 and the body portion 345 of a caster stem. The stem 345 carries near its lower end a flange 322, and beneath said flange is a spindle portion 323, which spindle portion is adapted to be upset or otherwise enlarged at 327. Associated with the plate 342 is an uppe track plate having an outer dependingcir cular wall 315, an upper track portion 316 and a bearingporion 320 which seats the flange 322. lVithin the circular guard 315 is another circular guard portion 318, which is concentric therewith, and between .said guard portions is positioned the rollers 19. The inner circular guard portion 318 extends inwardly at 317 and'is adapted to. lie parallel to the yoke plate 112 of the yoke 12, which yoke iscentral'ly apertured at 25. A sleeve 324, either split'or 'solid, isad'alpted to bear a'gainst the' lower face of the seating portion 320 and to extend through "the cent'ral opening '25 of the yoke plate 112 and beyond the lower face of said yoke plate.

Adjacent the lower end of the bushing or sleeve 324 is positioned'a washer 26, and it is to be understood that the 'free end of the spindle or stem is upset or enlarged at 327 to retain said washer, sleeve "and upper track plate by means of said upset or enlarged portion and the flange 322 in rigid relation. It will be noted that Figs. 3 and 6 are substantially identical with the exception of i the mounting of the caster upon the i urni ture leg and the inner retaining means.

Fig. 7 illustrates another form of the invention which eliminates the use of V a separable inner retaining guard member, and in sa'i'd figure the head or flange portion 22 is adapted to 'bear upon thesleeve 24 concentric withthe spindle portion 23 of the rivet. Associated withthe spindle 231s the enlargement 27 thereof and the washer 26. The yoke plate 112 of the yoke 12 is centrally apertu'red as usual at '25, and said washer 26 is of greater diameter than the diameter ofsaid-central opening. The track plate 413 is provided with the outer circus lar portion 415, the upper track'way or bear mg portion 416 and the inner circular'por tion 418. The inner circular portion, as

shown in Fig. 7, extends downwardlylinto the central opening 25 and then extends inwardly at 417 to lie between thewasher "27 and the bushing or sleeve 24 "so that. said sleeve 24, track plate 413 and washer '26 will be rigidly secured together'upon the spindle, yet will permitthe s'imil-ar retainingof the yoke 112 upon the spindle construction.

In Fig. 8 another modification of said invention is illustrated, and herein the rivet,

spindle or stem having the head 22', body portion 23 and enlargement 27, is substan tially identical with that hereinbefore dis closed, and associated therewith is the usual sleeve or bushing portion 24. The yoke plate 112 of the yoke 12 is also centrally apertured at 25, and associated with said cen tral aperture is the washer 26, as shown. The rollers 19 are bearable upon the yoke plate 112 when in bearable relation and are retained in the trackway 513 by means of the upper bearing portion 516, the outer retaining portion 515 and the inner retaining portion 518. Herein the inwardly extend-' ing portion 517 extends downwardly at 519 into the central opening 25. From the foregoing, it will be understood that the sleeve portion 24, washer 26 and plate 513 are all secured in rigid relation with the spindle, and said spindle construction freely and rotatably supports the yoke of the caster.

The invention claimed is:

1. A caster construction comprising a supporting spindle, an upper track plate having an outer depending circular guard portion, a sleeve on said spindle and bearing on said track plate adjacent its connection with the spindle, an inner circular guard member supported upon said sleeve and associated with said outer guard portion to form a circular trackway, rollers in said trackway, and a wheel supporting yoke carried on said rollers and rotatably supported upon said sleeve, the latter extending through said yoke and terminating beyond the same, whereby said trackway and spindle will form a rigid construction and said yoke will be freely supported thereon in rotatable relation.

2. A caster construction comprising a supporting spindle, an upper track plate having an outer depending circular guard portlon,

a sleeve on said spindle and having its upper end bearing on said track plate adjacent its bearable thereon, said spindle, trackway,

sleeve and washer being secured in rigid relatlon, and sald washer 1n spaced relation with said yoke when the latter is in the supporting position.

3. A caster construction comprising a spindle having two enlarged portions, circular trackway supporting means including concentric guard portions and an inner sleeve portion rigid with the trackway when in assembled relation and concentric with said spindle, and a wheel supporting yoke rotatably supported upon said sleeve portion.

4. A caster construction comprising a spindle, circular trackway supporting means including a plate portion, rollers for said trackway, a sleeve concentric with said spindle, a wheel supporting yoke rotatably supported upon said sleeve and carried by said rollers, and a washer upon said spindle adjacent the lower end of said sleeve and in spaced relation with, said yoke when the latter is in the roller engaging position, said spindle, washer, sleeve and plate portion being rigidly secured together to form a trackway and a pivot.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

EMIL A. SMITHFIELD. 

